It's All the Same Anyway
by 3sicksisters
Summary: Danny gets injured and ends up in the hospital. To no one's surprise, Steve manages to find a crazed not-so-ex-criminal there. What follows is altogether unsurprising, and includes sharks, guns, and Hawaii's number one mob family. Danny/Steve.


**It's All the Same Anyway**

by Ash, Kira, and Lexi

Danny was upset. These were his favorite pants! And now he couldn't wear them ever again, all because of some stupid bloodstains. Also the large tear in the thigh. That was caused by the knife. In his thigh. Dammit. He blamed Steve.

"Danny!" Steve rushed to his side staring pointedly at the knife sticking out of his thigh. "What the hell happened?" McGarrett applied pressure to the gory wound. "You were suppose to stay behind me!"

"I **was** behind you, Steve! And then you decided to go Rambo on my ass and ran off after them, and I didn't know where the hell you were, and then all of a sudden I've got this pigsticker in my fucking thigh! I blame you! Did you call for backup yet? Is this good enough reason now? Huh?" Danny managed to say this all in one breath, then inhaled sharply when Steve put more pressure on his thigh. "These are my favorite pants, too. Make my ass look great." He was starting to feel woozy now...

"Danny? Danny!" Danny had passed out from the blood loss. Steve began muttering to himself. "Your ass does look great." McGarrett had called for back up earlier when he had lost sight of Danny in the fire-fight.  
"You're damn right it does," Danny slurred  
"Danny stay with me, help is on the way." Steve decided to ignore Danno's comment and focus on getting him to the hospital.  
"Hey, hey, Steve, hey, listen," Danny pulled McGarrett closer by his shirt. "You got pretty eyes."

"Uh, thanks, buddy," Steve said. He wasn't sure how to take the compliment from a barely-conscious Danno. But as long as he stayed awake until the ambulance came, he was pretty much willing to do anything. "Um, your eyes look nice too."  
"Th'nks. I think. What d'ya like about them?" Danny had a mischievous look on his too-pale face. Steve rolled his eyes.  
"I don't know. They're just really blue. And they've got little laugh lines," Steve said. He shrugged.  
"Laugh lines? You're complimenting my laugh lines?" Danny's normally strident tones were subdued, which was more worrying than Steve wanted to admit. A yelling Danno meant a healthy Danno. So instead of his usual snarky comeback, he just went with the truth.  
"I like it when you smile," he said quietly.

"Aw Steve you go on like that and I'm gonna start thinking you got a heart." Sirens could be heard in the background, quietly at first but getting louder. Steve was staring into Danno's lidded eyes, a question on the edge of his tongue. Before he had a chance to voice his question, Danny lifted his head and kissed Steve softly on the lips. Steve hadn't noticed when they got so close. He leaned into the kiss, but pulled back quickly. Danny need to be breathing not kissing.

"Hey," Danny said in protest.

"Shhh, we got time for this later." The 'if you remember' was left out.

"We better," Danny grumbled. He shifted uncomfortably, his movements weak. Thankfully, the ambulance chose that moment to arrive. Paramedics jumped out and went to work on Danny, loading him up in the ambulance. Steve jumped in with them, unwilling to leave Danno alone at the moment, and left Chin and Kono to secure the scene.

Danny was going to be fine. He'd been stitched up in the ER and was resting now. The doctor was recommending he stay for the next day or two. Steve was currently trying not to glare at the doctor. He knew from experience that Danny really only needed to stay for a day. But the doctor had been **looking** at Danny. Steve crossed his arms and frowned.  
"Are you pouting?" Danny asked. He looked up at him from the hospital bed, a curious look on his face.  
"No," Steve said. His frown deepened. Danny grinned.  
"You are!" Danny laughed.  
"That's just the drugs talking," Steve said, smirking.

"Please, I've taken harder stuff to fall asleep," Danny replied crankily. Steve chuckled. He was glad that Danny was back to his normal self.  
"I'm going to get some coffee, you want anything?" Steve asked. He placed a hand on Danny's arm to reassure himself that Danny was still there and in one piece. A shiver ran through him as he thought how badly this could have ended.  
Danny smiled. "Could you get me some blue jello?" Steve laughed and squeezed Danny's arm before releasing it and turning to leave. Danny instantly missed the warmth of that hand. "McGarrett," He called out "No floating pineapple chunks ya?" Steve just grinned and continued out the door. As he exited the hospital room he caught sight of a shady figure down the hall. The man was staring into a patients room, his face a twist of emotions. That wasn't the shady part, the shady part was the completely black outfit and the blood covering it. A ski cap was held loosely in one hand.  
Steve headed toward the man but as soon as he did, the man was being lead away by a nurse. Figuring it was probably nothing, Steve turned back to the direction of the cafeteria.

Danny was starting to wonder if it was the best of ideas to send Steve by himself. He'd probably found a mugger already, or something. Maybe he'd gotten caught up in an underground smuggling ring... again. Sure, they were in a hospital, but Steve could find trouble **anywhere**. It was like a... a gift. Only instead of an X-box, this gift was one of those ugly sweaters your grandma sends you that smell like cigarette smoke and disappointment.  
"Got your jello," Steve said, poking his head into the room.  
"There you are. What, did you go all the way to the factory to get it? Or some kind of fancy blue jello shop all the way across town," Danny said, rolling his eyes. Then he paused, thinking. "Wait. **Please** tell me you got me gourmet blue jello."  
"And you say the drugs aren't talking," Steve said, shaking his head. Danny glared.  
"Shut up," he said, "Seriously, where'd you go?"  
"I went to the hospital cafeteria. Only when I got there, the lady behind the counter said there was only green jello. I told her it had to be blue, and she said 'well doesn't that suck for you', and I said yeah, it did. Then I told her a really sad story about how my partner is in the hospital with a stab wound, and I'm really worried about him, and the stab wound is all my fault anyway, but there's nothing I can do for him except bring him blue jello. And she said 'oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry. have you and your husband been together long?' and I said 'well, around six months'. then she told me 'well you just wait right here and I'll go get some blue jello for you'. So I did, and she did, and here's your blue jello," Steve said, depositing the bowl on the tray in front of Danno. Danny was looking at him incredulously.  
"You told her we were married?" he demanded. Steve shrugged.  
"It got you your jello, didn't it?" Steve said, gesturing at the jello. Danny shook his head and pointed at Steve with his spoon.  
"You, sir, are a liar," Danny said, and took a bite of jello.  
"I never lie," Steve said, putting his hands in his pockets and looking at a point on the wall behind Danny's head.  
Danny stopped with the spoon halfway to his mouth. He thought about that for a second.

They both contemplated this for a while. Steve was like a fairy from one of Gracie's books, thought Danny. He never lied directly. But he would lie through omission. It made him think what Steve had actually said to make the woman believe they were married.  
BANG. A shot rang out through the hospital. Danny made to get up, Steve bodily pushed him back onto the bed.  
"Oh hell no, you are not going out there with out me!" Danny made to get up again but was pushed down again. Steve had a determined set to his jaw. He was not going to let Danno risk his life when he was still recovering from his last life endangering escapade. Steve growled out "stay" before he turned to the door and snuck a peek out. The coast was clear and he made his way out.  
Danny sat for several moments before a gruff "fuck it" came out and he slid out of bed. He was dizzy for a moment but recovered quickly. He turned to his personal affects and searched for his phone. As usual, McGarrett had forgot to call for back up before he left. Danny dialed Chins number and filled him in on the situation in hushed tones. After he hung up he reached for some pants. No way in hell was he traipsing around this hospital in one of these ridiculous open backed hospital gowns.  
Steve had made it to the room he had seen the suspicious man standing outside of when he saw movement from the corner of his eye. He turned with his gun held up to see Danny. Steve sighed exasperatedly but he was relieved Danny had followed. It was reassuring knowing Danno had his back. He signaled Danny to get the other side of the door. As one they moved in to find the room empty. Danny turned to Steve. "Why are we in here?"  
Steve kept searching the room for clues. There was a bag of personal effects on the small dresser to the left of the bed. Steve searched the contents and answered Danny over his shoulder. "I saw a guy standing outside this room. He had a ski mask and was covered in blood." The bag had a set of blood covered clothes, a cell phone, wallet, and a skiee mask matching the possibly perp. Steve pulled out his phone and called Kono. "Hey I need you to run a name for me." He looked at the license. "I need everything you got on a Jeffery Getler." He hung up and turned to Danny.

"Where to next? It's not like we can just wander around this hospital looking for some guy shooting the place up. Unless you got some super special Army power that can get us a beat on this guy."  
Steve grinned. "First off, I was in the Navy. And second, I think I just might."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Oh, that's just fantastic. You never stop, do you? This is a **hospital**, for Christ sakes. A. Hospital. I be their insurance premiums shot through the roof the minute you walked through the door. I mean, I love you dearly, but you're a fucking walking health hazard. Public menace. Something. I dunno. The government probably has you registered under weapons of mass destruction. And the worst part is that I can't seem to stop following you! I used to be smart! Now look at me! About to go into dangerous situation half-cocked. I blame you."  
"You love me dearly?" Steve asked, a strange look on his face. Danno looked at him incredulously for a moment.  
"Is that all you heard?" he asked. Steve smiled.  
"Sorry, you've said the same things so many times, I kind of zone out when I hear the lecture coming. Don't worry, I got the gist of it," Steve said.  
"Un-fucking-believable," Danny muttered. He looked at the ceiling. It was moments like these that he really felt the need to believe in a higher power, if only he could call on it to smite Steve's ass.  
"So do you? Love me dearly?" Steve asked, again. Danny glared at him.  
"Yes. I do. Now, can we get back to the problem at hand? Namely, the criminal shooting up the hospital we are currently in?" Danny said.  
"You're the one who sidetracked us with your rant. Are you done now?" Steve said.  
"Yes, Steve. I'm done now," Danny said. He blinked and shook his head, feeling dizzy for a moment, but it passed. He considered actually sitting this one out. ...Nah. He'd be fine... probably. ...Oh god, Steve really was rubbing off on him. "Let's get this over with," he said. Maybe then he could get back to his jello.

"Let's get to the security station, from there you can feed me updates on the perp." Steve walked past Danny and out in to the hallway. It was a little ways to the security office Steve knew was on the floor below them. They didn't dare use the elevator for fear of alerting the unsub as to their presence. The farther they went, the more out of breath and dizzy Danny was becoming. By the time they reached the office Danny was panting and about to fall over. Steve settled him into a chair near the monitors. "You all right there buddy?" Steve didn't like the color Danno was turning. It was some where between green and white.

"'m fine," Danny panted. Steve looked skeptical. "No, really. Fine. And look, here comes our friend." He pointed to one of the screens, where a man in a grubby black outfit and a ski mask was creeping through a hallway.  
"Looks like he's on the floor right above us," Steve said. Danny nodded and sat up straighter in his chair, eyes locked to the screens in front of him. Steve gave his shoulder a brief squeeze, then took off at a trot. Danny watched him move across the monitors, heading for the stairwell. He jumped in his chair when his phone rang. He checked to see who it was, hoping it wasn't Rachel or Grace. Thankfully, it was Kono.  
"Yeah, we've got the basics Steve asked for on Jeffery Getler. Guy doesn't even have a recent parking ticket. And get this - he's a kindergarten teacher. He lives in an apartment complex near the school. We've got practically nothing on him."  
"What about his known associates?" Danny asked, frustrated.  
"We're running them now and - **hello**. He's registered as having a domestic partnership with one Aaron Sovay. And Sovay's got a record longer than my arm. Half of which is from his many stints in the mental hospital. On the upside, there aren't any offenses or hospital check-ins logged within the last year. The relationship was apparently working well for him. On the downside, that probably means he's unstable without his partner."  
"Shit," Danny said. The hospital room with Getler's belongings had been empty. Steve was going after a psycho, alone, again. "Well what was the last job Sovay did?"  
"Assault. It was suspected that he was working for the Vashon family as an enforcer, but there wasn't enough proof to tie them together."  
"The **Vashon** crime family? Are you serious?"  
"Yes."  
"Shit. How did he get out? They're usually not so keen on letting employees leave, are they?"  
"They're not. But after the assault charges were dropped, he went in for his last stint in the mental hospital. And after that, nothing. Not even some petty thieving."  
"Huh," Danny said. A clearer picture was forming in his head. His eyes tracked Steve as he moved through the hallway from the stairs toward the other gunman, but his mind was working overtime. The hospital room with Jeffery Getler's personal effects was empty. A crazy gunman was shooting people in random fashion. The Vashon family never let its employees leave. Two bloody ski masks and dirty black clothing.  
"Fuck," he said, and hung up on Kono. He stood and, ignoring his dizziness and creeping nausea, ran to his partner.

McGarrett had silently made his way to the next floor and was narrowing in on their target when the man had stepped around the corner at the end of the hall. He had a doctor as hostage with a gun to the man's head.  
"5-O! Drop the gun!" Steve shouted out. The man turned sharply and pulled the doctor close, pressing the gun against his head.  
"Don't come any closer or I swear I'll kill him!" As if to prove this he pulled the man even closer and pushed the gun hard into the doctor's temple. The doctor winced from the pressure.  
"Just let the man go," Steve replied.  
"No! It's all his fault! Jeff should be here!" The man screamed furiously. He had a more than half made look in his eyes. At that moment, Danny burst through the doors next to Steve. He came to a stop at Steve's side, his breath ragged.  
Panting, Danny did his best to try to explain what Kono had told him, but the blackness around his vision was creeping toward the center. "Steve, bad guy *huff puff* Aaron Sov*gasp*ay, Mentally unstable *pant* co-dependency *huff*, Jeffery's boyfriend *gasp* mob ties, think they got *pant* roped into a job and and..." With that Danny collapsed.  
"Danno? Come on buddy! Please get up!" Steve knelt down, keeping his gun on the perp, and checked Danno's pulse. It was thready and way too fast. Steve was really worried. He needed to get this situation solved NOW. He couldn't risk losing his only friend.  
"Hey, what wrong with that guy?" The suspect, now identified as Aaron, asked. He was confused as to what was going on. Who were these guys, and why did the one with the gun seem so concerned about the guy laying on the floor. The sick guy actually looked kind of like Jeffery if he thought about it.  
"He was stabbed yesterday. He needs to be resting and he needs a doctor." Steve couldn't stop himself from glancing back down at Danno every few seconds. When he looked back at Aaron the man was looking at Danny with something close to nostalgia in his eyes. A plan began to form in Steve's mind. But it would require him to do something he had not done in a long time. Steve McGarrett would have to tell the truth about his feelings.  
"He's my partner. I don't know what I would do without him. If he doesn't make it...I..." Steve had to stop before he started crying. That was one thing he refused to do today.  
"If..If I let the doctor help your partner, will you let me say goodbye to Jeff?"

"Yes. Of course," Steve said, trying to rein his emotions back in now that Sovay was giving up his hostage. But his throat was hoarse and his eyes were itchy. He knew he was blinking more than usual. Sovay looked at him carefully, and Steve clenched his jaw and looked down at Danno. He was too pale, and his breathing was off. Sovay nodded and lowered his gun. The doctor stumbled away from him, toward Steve. Steve lowered his own gun, and after a moment where he assessed Sovay's now-relaxed posture, holstered it so his hands could be free. He moved Danno from his crumpled position on the floor so that he was laying on his back with his head in Steve's lap.  
The doctor crouched next to Danno, checking his pulse and pupil response. He frowned slightly, which made Steve's heart jackhammer harder than he ever remembered.  
"He should be fine," the doctor said, and Steve almost passed out in relief. "He should be resting, though." He turned his frown on Steve, and Steve felt a pang of guilt. He shouldn't have let Danno follow him. He should have made him stay in bed. He had handcuffs for a reason, you know.  
"That's good," Sovay said, sighing in relief. He actually smiled. He'd been shooting up a fucking hospital not ten minutes ago, but now he was grinning brightly like he was a close friend of Danny's or something. "That's good. Now take me to Jeffery. I need to see Jeffery."  
The doctor looked at Steve with a frightened expression. "I tried telling him, Jeffery's not here."  
"Bring me Jeffery! I know you have him!" Sovay screamed, pointing his gun right back at the doctor. Goddammit. Steve hated the crazy ones.  
"Jeffery's not here! His brother checked him out and took him home!" the doctor yelled back, which made Steve want to smack him upside the head. You don't yell at the crazies!  
"His brother?" Sovay asked, and Steve was waiting for another outburst, but he actually seemed calmer. "Jeffery doesn't have a brother. He was an only child." Sovay, Steve, and the doctor all processed this for a second. Then Sovay's expression changed to one of horror.  
"Fuck," he said. He put his head in is hands, one of which was still holding his gun. "Fuck. Oh god. Oh god. They've got him. They've got him, it's all my fault, it's all my fault. He got hurt, and they got him, and it's all my fault. Fuck. WhatshouldIdo, whatshouldIdo, whatshould-"  
"Hey!" Steve shouted, interrupting the litany. Sovay jumped and looked at him, seeming surprised he was there. His eyes were watery, and his hands were shaking. Steve decided to start off slow. "Jeffery. He's important to you." Sovay nodded.  
"Yeah. Yes. We - we wanted to get married, but Hawaii only allows domestic partnerships," he said. Steve tried smiling reassuringly, reasoning that it's what Danno would do, and he was always better at talking people down. It seemed to work, because Sovay smiled shakily back.  
"And you got caught up in some bad stuff," Steve continued. Sovay nodded jerkily.  
"Yeah. I was working for, for some bad people. I wasn't too good then. Then I met Jeffery, and everything was good," Sovay said, smiling blissfully. Steve could sympathize, even though he didn't want to. With Danno in his lap, it was hard to deny that any one person could change a whole life for the better.  
"But then the bad stuff caught up with you again," Steve said. Sovay's face fell.  
"Yeah. I didn't want to work for them anymore, but they said if they didn't , they'd h-hurt Jeffery," Sovay said. His face crumpled, and it looked like he was about to cry. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let him come with me. I shouldn't have let him get hurt. I shouldn't have left him for even a second. I should have told him I love him just, just because."  
Steve blinked, hard. Well, didn't that sound familiar. He swallowed.  
"We're going to get him back, Aaron," he said. He looked briefly down at Danno's face, then determinedly back at Sovay.  
"Get him back?" Sovay asked, confused.  
"He will be okay. Jeffery's alive, right now. Focus on that," Steve said.  
"Alive?"  
"The Vashons have him. They're going to use him as collateral against you. I'm guessing the job went sour?" Steve asked.  
"We got pinned down. We had to dump the money and run, and I had to get Jeffery to the hospital," Sovay said. He was looking heart breakingly hopeful.  
"They want their money. They have him, alive, so you'll cooperate. We can get him back," Steve said, eyes trained on Sovay's face. He broke out into the most innocent smile Steve had ever seen on a man.  
"He's alive. We're going to get him back," he said. His expression was nothing short of beatific.  
"Exactly. All you've got to do is trust me," Steve said. Sovay's gaze sharpened on him, then flicked between him and Danno.  
"You love him?" he asked. Steve could barely fathom why this would be important to him. He hesitated and looked down at Danny, and couldn't help but trace his fingers over one of his cheekbones. He looked back up at Sovay, and said simply,  
"Yeah."  
Sovay nodded seriously. "I trust you." Steve breathed out and relaxed some for the first time this entire fucking day.  
"Good. Now. Where's the money?"

"It's at the marina. In an empty tank in the shark area. You really think you can save him?" He looked so hopeful.  
"I will save him, I swear." Steve took one more look at Danny before gently extricating himself from under Danny. "Give me the gun." Steve commanded in an even voice. Sovay handed it over with out question. "Good, now come with me, the doctor will take care of Danny and I need to get you some where safe." He spared on last look at Danny to confirm the doctor had heard him before taking Sovay by the elbow and leading him out the door and out of the hospital.

Steve walked Sovay through the hallways, one hand gripping his arm and the other dialing Chin.  
"Chin."  
"Steve? Are you and Danny alright?"  
"Yes. I need backup sent to the shark area at the marina, and a safe house ready for when we get back. Sovay and I are picking up some money the Vashons think belong to them," Steve said.  
"Will do," Chin said. Steve hung up and put his phone away, pressing the button to the elevator. He kept a firm grip on Sovay, who seemed ready to jump at anything. His eyes moved too fast for Steve to be comfortable, and his hand kept flexing. They rode in silence, then took the hallways at a brisk trot.  
When they got outside, it was to see a full accompaniment of squad cars. Steve had his badge ready, and flashed it at the cops.  
"Identify yourself!"  
"McGarret! Five-O!" Steve waved his badge, making sure everyone could see it. The cops hesitated, then lowered their guns. Steve approached with Sovay in tow.  
"This man the shooter?"  
"Yes."  
"Alright, we can take it from here."  
"'Fraid not," Steve said,"This man is in my custody. He's part of a sensitive ongoing investigation. We need to leave immediately."  
The other cop looked upset at that, but let them through. Steve led the way to the car and deposited Sovay in the passenger seat. He jumped in, and soon they were on the way to the marina.

Back at the hospital, the doctors had gotten Danny back in his room and resting. Danny's ex-wife, Rachel, and Gracy were waiting to go see him.  
"Williams family?" asked a doctor by the door.  
Rachel and Grace raised from their chairs. "Yes."  
"He's settled now, you can see him in a moment. The stress from the attack was a little much for his system right now. We're prepared to let him go tomorrow morning, provided he has someone to stay with and look after him." Rachel shook her head. She would not have her ex-husband staying with her and her new husband. It would not end well. "In that case we will keep him for a few more days."  
At this, Gracy spoke up. "Uncle Steve will take Danno home."  
The doctor and Rachel looked down at the girl. The doctor lifted an eye brow at the ex-wife. Rachel blushed and looked somewhere over his shoulder. "Steve is Danny's partner. I mean his police partner."

The doctor gave Rachel a half-confused, half-knowing look and nodded.  
"One of the nurses will contact Officer McGarrett. Now, if you'll follow me, you can see Mr. Williams," the doctor said, leading them to Danny's bedside. Grace grabbed his hand in both of hers and looked up at him solemnly.  
"Hey, Monkey," he said, grinning down at her. She smiled back and patted his hand.  
"Don't worry, Danno. The doctor says you'll be okay, and you're going to live with Uncle Steve, and he'll take care of you. Right?" Grace said. She and Danny both looked at the doctor. He smiled down at Grace and nodded, then turned to Danny.  
"Right. You'll be ready to be released tomorrow. Once of the nurses can contact Officer McGarrett for you and inform him," he said. Danny smiled gratefully.  
"Thanks," he said, "But I need to talk to him anyway. I'll call him."

Steve McGarrett was standing in the shark section of the marina looking very annoyed. There were no empty tanks and Sovay was getting twitchier and twitchier the more they looked. It had been two hours by now and Steve wanted to go back and see how Danny was doing.

"Wait!" Sovay ran to a tank on their left filled with murky water. "It's in here! I remember the orange tape at the bottom, but it was empty then." Steve looked into the tank, squinting to try and see through the murky water. Something large and dark swam past. He turned to Chin

"Find out what animal they have in here and how long it would take to move it to a different habitat." Chin nodded and left.  
Steve continued to stare at the tank, something about this situation was bothering him but he couldn't figure out what. Not to long into his mussing, his phone began to ring. "McGarrett," He answered into the cell.  
"Hey, the doc says they'll let me go tomorrow morning if I stay with a friend." Steve smiled  
"You spend most nights at my place anyway, but you're not sleeping on the couch this time."

"Thank god. I think your couch hates me. I keep waking up with a stiff back and neck," Danny said.  
"Is **that** why you're so grumpy in the mornings?" Steve teased. Danny snorted.  
"No, that's normal," he said. Steve smiled. He sounded better. Of course, the last time he'd seen Danno, he'd been a gasping, wheezing mess on the hospital floor. Pretty much anything was a step up. A beep sounded in his ear.

"I gotta go. Chin's calling me with an update. See you soon," Steve said.  
"Bye," Danny said. Steve hung up and greeted Chin.  
"Chin."  
"It's a tiger shark. They just finished moving it from its previous habitat, and the process takes weeks," Chin said.  
"Weeks," Steve growled. Sovay, who was still standing next to him, looked at him oddly. "When can we get to it?"  
"They have a trained diver, but it'll take until tomorrow to get all the equipment and personnel together and set up," Chin said. Steve exhaled in frustration. Then he heard a splash. He looked over to the shark tank, already knowing what he was going to see.  
"Sovay!" he yelled, and ran toward him.

It was too late. Sovay was in the water with a tiger shark and a bag full of cash. Had this been anyone else, they would have waited outside the tank or gotten help. But Commander Steve McGarrett is not anyone else.  
Steve stripped down to his shorts and jumped in after Sovay. He found him near the bottom digging through the pebbles. McGarrett was about to pull him out when the shark came out of nowhere and began to bite Sovay on the leg. The man struggled in vain as his hand finally came in contact with a plastic bag.  
Steve swam toward the shark and wrapped his arms around its body trying to pull it off. After a second or two, the shark let go and wriggled out of Steve's grasp. It came rearing back toward him and being Steve, he punched it in the nose. That done, McGarrett grabbed Sovay and the bag of money and swam to the surface.  
Throwing the money out first, he just barely got himself and Sovay out before the shark could attack again.  
He lay on the floor, soaking wet and panting, for a second before recovering.

"Shit. Shit. Motherfucking shit," Sovay said. Steve had to agree. Sovay's leg was oozing blood from a jagged ring of bites, and Steve's chest and arms felt like ground beef. He had barely felt the sting of the shark's skin when he was wrestling with it, but he sure as fuck felt it now. If Danno were here, he'd be spouting off about how shark skin is just row after row of tiny teeth, and how that's reason #1320 never to willingly choose to live in an island paradise. Steve groaned and tried to get his breath back, just barely succeeding.  
"What. Were you thinking," he growled. He sat up gingerly and glared at Sovay. Sovay shrank back, and clutched tighter to the plastic bag.  
"Not enough time. They have him. Couldn't wait," he said. Steve's hands clenched and Sovay flinched. Steve could appreciate the sentiment Sovay wanted to express; could understand how one would want to keep their partner safe at all costs. But you don't. jump. in. tanks. with. sharks. Even **he** knew that was a bad idea.  
Goddammit. He hated the crazies.

Steve searched through his pants for his cell phone and called for an ambulance. They sat in relative silence, interrupted only by swear words as Steve adjusted his grip on Sovays leg.  
"What the hell happened bra'?" Chin had just returned from where ever the hell he had gone.  
"Chin I need you to make the drop. Savoy and I need to get to hospital. This nut job thought it would be a good idea to jump into a shark tank." Steve grabbed the bag from Sovay and tossed it Chin.  
"On it boss."

The ambulance ride to the hospital was uneventful, except for when one of the paramedics asked, "Didn't I just see you here?" and Steve realized that he was going back to a smug and/or pissed of Danno. Shit. He wasn't sure which he was dreading more.  
As they neared the hospital, Steve hoped that Danny was smug instead of pissed off. For one, he was quieter when he was smug. When he was pissed, he tended to yell and gesticulate wildly. And when Danno was pissed, after Steve had completed another one of his death-defying stunts, it meant that Steve had scared the crap out of him. The louder he got, the more worried he'd been. And no matter how often Danny accused him of it, Steve didn't **like** worrying him.  
As they were rushed into the emergency room, Steve took a deep breath and hoped that he at least got a dose of morphine before the yelling started.

The doctors cleaned his wounds and wrapped his arms and chest in bandages. The shark skin had been like sand paper scratching off several layers of skin, making him bleed. They didn't give him morphine but something less addictive. Half an hour later and he was cleaned up and ready to go.  
He stopped by the nurse's station to check on Sovay. The man was in surgery, they were trying to save his leg and it looked like he would survive.  
He walked to Danny's room feeling more and more anxious. His shirt had been left at the marina so all his bandages would be visible. The second he stepped through the door Danny began to yell.  
"What the hell happened to you! Did you do something stupid again? What was it this time? You took on the entire mob family by yourself with nothing but that stupid rambo knife of yours, didn't you?" Steve clamped a hand over his mouth to shut him up.  
"Breath Danno, I didn't take on the mob. I jumped into a shark tank to save our prisoner from a tiger shark." Behind Steve's hand Danny was hyperventilating. Steve moved his hand down to hold Danny's. "Hey calm down, it's okay, we got the money, Chin is exchanging the money for Getler even as we speak."  
Danny glared at him. "Seriously? That's why you think I'm upset? God damn it Steve! You could have died!" Danny grasped him in a tight hug, quickly pulling back when he heard McGarrett hiss. "How you suppose to look after me when you can't even look after yourself?"

"I can look after myself just fine," Steve said.  
"Shark, Steve. A fucking shark. It doesn't inspire confidence when you're stupid enough to jump in a shark tank," Danny said.  
"I'm not stupid, and I didn't," Steve grumbled. Danny looked at him incredulously. "I mean, I wasn't the one who jumped in first. I just went in after Sovay."  
"You realize Sovay is clinically insane, right? You do realize that you did the exact same thing as a **crazy person**, right?"  
"Hey! I'm not crazy," Steve said. Danny just huffed.  
"Yeah, right, and I'm the bloody fucking Queen of England," Danny said. Steve raised an eyebrow.  
"Would you like some tea, your majesty?"  
"No, what I'd like is a partner who actually takes his personal safety into consideration once in a while," Danny said.  
"I do," Steve said, squeezing Danno's hand. Danno's mouth tightened, and he looked away.  
"Your entire upper half is covered in bandages, Steve," he said. He pulled his hand out of Steve's and crossed his arms over his chest. Steve tried to catch his eye, but he refused to look at him. Steve sighed.  
Here it was. What he'd been dreading. Not the smugness, the yelling, or the insults to his intelligence and sanity. It was Danno's unnatural quiet, the tense way he was holding his body, and how suspiciously bright his eyes were.  
"Ah, Danno, I didn't... I'm sorry," Steve said awkwardly, placing his hand on the other man's forearm. Danny snuck a glance at him, still frowning.  
"Are you really?"  
"Yeah," Steve said quietly.  
"Good," Danny grumbled, and loosened his arms to grasp Steve's hand with one of his own.

Steve smiled, giving Danny's hand a squeezing. "I have to go fill out paper work but I will be back later. I'll bring you some pizza."  
"Better not have any pineapples on it." Danny tried for menacing but ended with pouty. Steve wanted to kiss the look right off his face but was interrupted by one of the doctors.  
"You must be Detective McGarrett. If you'd come with me, I need to explain what you need to do to look after Danny." The doctors eyes strayed to Danny and lingered.  
Steve let out an inaudible growl. He turned back to Danny. "I'll be right back." He leaned down and kissed Danny right on the mouth, marking his territory. Danny gasped in surprise allowing Steve to swipe his tongue inside. Steve pulled back, smiling at Danny. He turned to the doctor and smirked. He left the room, doctor in tow.

Danny sat, stunned, in the hospital bed. Steve, he of the emotional constipation, had just snogged him, in public. In front of a witness.  
Hot **damn**.

Steve talked to the doctor for several minutes getting all the information he needed. He was happy to note that the doctor seemed slightly less chipper than before. They were almost done when the doctor got a smirk on his face. "And no demanding physical activity. Including running, jumping, aand any kind of work out, including sex."

Steve's face was impassive and his voice was calm as he thanked the doctor for the instructions, but inside it went more like,  
"You smug motherfucking bastard. You **know** I want to pound my partner into the mattress. You snide little shit, you...," et cetera. He calmly (very calmly) walked back to Danno's room and quietly shut the door. He turned towards Danno and saw his eyebrows go up.  
"Uh oh. You've got Aneurysm Face. Is the mob attacking? Is there a terrorist on the loose? Did you put pineapple on my pizza?" Danny asked.

"Danno, Shut. The. Fuck. Up." Danny's mouth closed with an audible click. "Much better." Steve's aneurysm face faded into a predatory grin. He leaned down into Danno's personal space, Danny closing his eyes in anticipation of a kiss, and he spoke softly into his ear. "The doctor says no strenuous activity for at least a week but as soon as you're better I'm going to bend you over the nearest flat surface and fuck you like you've never been fucked before and will never be again by anyone but me."

Danny swallowed, hard.  
"That's. That um." he took a deep breath. "I like that plan."  
"Good," Steve said, pulling back. He had an unholy smirk on his face that just made Danny want to shiver and kiss him so hard he couldn't smirk anymore.  
"Well," Steve said, "I have to go. I've been informed that if I don't get myself home to rest and recuperate, they'll be forced to strap me to a bed for my own good. I'll be back tomorrow morning to pick you up."

The image of Steve strapped down to a table had Danny groaning. The next week couldn't come fast enough.

ONE WEEK LATER  
Danny had been ordered to stay at Steve's house for the remainder of his recovery and today was the day he would finally go back to work. He had felt so useless sitting around all day (excluding the intense make-out sessions with Steve). Also on the plus side, he had woken, every morning, with the strong arms of Steve surrounding him.  
Danny walked into the kitchen that morning, dressed and ready for work. He headed for the coffee pot. Reaching for a mug, he was surprised by a pair of now very familiar arms pulling him around and pushing him up against the counter top. "Good morning to you too." Danny chuckled.  
Steve just grinned, Cheshire cat like in its intensity. "You know what today is right?"

"Tuesday?" Danny asked. He didn't want to think yet. He wanted coffee. Then maybe think. But coffee first.  
"Mmm," Steve said, latching onto Danny's neck. Danny paused. Okay, then. Makeouts, then coffee, then think. Good plan.  
"You always have the best plans," Danny mumbled. Steve snickered.  
"I think I'll take advantage of this while I can," he said. He pressed in even closer to Danno, insinuating his entire body against his partner's. He devoured his mouth and attacked the buttons of Danno's dress shirt, pulling it up and out of his slacks. "It's been over a week, Danno," he growled.

The light bulb lit in Danny's head. He'd had his follow up appointment yesterday, the doctor giving the okay on... more physically demanding activity. Yes, today was the day he and Steve could finally sex.

"Bed." As much as he would love to take Steve up on his promise of fucking him on the nearest flat surface, he wanted their first time to be more than that (shut up he was not the girl of this relationship!). Steve hooked his fingers through Danno's belt loops and (without detaching himself from Danny's neck) pulled him out of the kitchen and backward through the hall.

"Not that I'm against this, but you know we're going to be late for work, right?" Danny said, trying to keep some kind of grip on his ability to think. Only, Steve's hands were **everywhere,** stripping him of his belt, dress shirt, and tie. The tie, for whatever reason, Steve kept instead of dropping it along the hallway.  
"We're not allowed to go into work today," Steve said against Danny's throat. "Kono said that if we showed up before we got rid of all the sexual tension that's been clogging up the office, she'd kick our asses."

They made it to the bed room with none of their clothes left. Steve pushed Danny down onto the bed. Wicked grin in place, Steve made his way between Danny's knees and leaned up to nibble on his ear lobe. "Tell me what you need Danno." Steve ran his hand up and down Danny's arms, stopping at his wrists. Quickly he moved the wrists to the top of the bed and tied them to his head board using Danny's tie.

The satiny feel of his own tie against his wrists made Danny's pulse race, and he couldn't help but writhe underneath his partner. Steve inhaled deeply and pressed him down with his body, eyes falling closed at the feel of their cocks rubbing together. Danny moaned.  
"Tell me," Steve growled. Danny swallowed convulsively. He considered, briefly, holding out, being coy, **something** to keep his pride intact. But then Steve leaned down and licked a long wet stripe up his neck, and Danny decided fuck it, he'd tell the truth.  
"Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me, please," he whispered, eyes squeezed closed and every nerve in his body on fire.

Steve sat back and gazed at his new favorite sight. Danny was splayed out before him, panting and rock hard. It was beautiful. Steve reached over to his night stand and fished out some lube and a condom. As much as he would love to torture his beautiful Danno, now was not the time. He leaned in for a quick kiss on the lips and then started working his way down. He reached Danny's left nipple and sucked it into his mouth at the same time he pushed a well lubed finger past Danny's balls and into the crease of his ass.

Danny gave a full-throated moan. God, heat. Heat everywhere. Steve's mouth on his nipple, his body poised along his, his fingers pressed up against him. Steve took his mouth away and Danny felt the loss keenly. Steve inhaled, his body tense, obviously trying to keep control.  
"God, the way you sound. Taste so good. Wanna fuck you so bad," Steve growled, the deep purr of his voice working its way up Danny's spine and adding to the haze in his mind. It was so delicious, the way he couldn't think at all, especially when Steve started easing his fingers past the tight ring of his muscle. Mmmm.

...he was pretty sure he'd said that last part out loud. Well, moaned. Steve inhaled again.

Three fingers inside, his tongue dipping into Danny's belly button, and Danny was right on the edge. "P-please Steve... I need... God... I need to touch you. Please just let my hands go." He gave a demonstrative tug on the tie. Steve pulled his hands up to Danny's wrists. Danny gave a moan when the fingers left his ass. He quickly untied Danny's hands and gave chaste kisses to the veins on the inside of Danny's wrists.

Danny smiled at the gesture, then promptly took advantage of the freedom. He ran his hands up and down Steve's chest, savoring all that smooth heat and hard muscle. Steve rumbled happily at the sensation. Taking that as a cue, Danny traced around the outside of Steve's hips teasingly before abruptly taking Steve's hard dick in one hand. Steve squeezed his eyes shut as Danno stroked up and down.  
"I want **this**," Danny said, emphasizing with a rough stroke, voice gone gravelly, "In me. Right now."  
Steve gasped. "Whatever you want, Danno. Anything."

Danny grabbed the condom, tore it open, and rolled it onto Steve's leaking dick. Steve covered Danny's hand with his own, leaned in and assaulted Danny's mouth with his tongue. He pushed Danny back with one hand 'till he was laying down.

Danny grinned up at Steve, and Steve couldn't help but smile back. He arranged Danno's legs so that they were on either side of his hips, and took a moment to admire the picture Danno made. Then he took ahold of himself and guided his dick in, groaning at the feeling.

Steve held still, letting Danny adjust. He was aching to move, but so apparently was Danny. He thrust back his hips as best he could, trying to create the friction he needed.

"Ahh... slow down," Steve said through gritted teeth.  
Danny bit down on Steve's shoulder roughly, almost breaking skin and certainly causing a big bruise. A sharp pain surged through Danny's body – he'd never done this before but he couldn't control himself. Pleasure mixed with pain as he ground his hips into Steve's again.  
"Ahg... don't make me tie you up again," Steve said with a gruff moan. Danny made to move again but Steve quickly grabbed a hold of the shorter man, one hand stilled his hips, the other pinned down his shoulder. Danny gave a look of shock and frustration. Steve grabbed the forgotten tie and, in one swift movement, had Danny tied to the headboard again.  
"For disobeying me," Steve said menacingly, "You will be punished."  
Steve then lifted Danny's legs onto his shoulders, to give himself the control. He slowly started to slide in and out of Danny. Danny moaned with frustration. Steve shook his head slowly, "Nope, my turn. I call the shots now and it's time you learned a lesson." Steve gave a seductive eyebrow quirk and slowed down his thrusts even more. Steve angled his hips to hit just the right spot. Danny screamed and writhed underneath Steve.  
"God! Steve! Okay... okay... ah... you win..." Danny panted and pleaded, "Just... please... ah... untie me already."  
Steve felt Danny had learned his lesson well enough, he could always try new punishment later. And he certainly planned to. Steve untied Danny for the second time. Sweat dripped off of their over-heated bodies. Steve and Danny began to move together, only the intense feeling of pleasure bound them. They could both feel their climaxes rising. And in one final thrust they came together. Steve collapsed on top of Danny and they searched to find their breath. Steve slid out of Danny's spent body. He curled up next to him and pulled him into a tight embrace. Their heart rates slowed to echo one another. They then slowly fell into soft, sweet, nothing-ness.

An hour later, Danny awoke cocooned in warmth. He stretched languidly, reveling in the ache in his muscles. Steve felt his movement and held him tighter in his arms. Danny smiled.  
"Good morning, again," he said.  
"Mmf."  
"Do you think Kono will let us come back to work now?" Danny asked, teasing. He was feeling playful and relaxed now in contrast to the past week of frustration. Wonder why.  
Steve lifted his head from his pillow and regarded his partner seriously. "I think, to be safe, we should spend the rest of today in bed. Possibly tomorrow as well," he said. Danny grinned.  
"Just to be safe," he replied.  
"Of course," Steve said. He managed a solemn face extremely well for a man with epic bed head and multiple bruises and bites that just screamed 'well-fucked'.  
"And because Kono's really that scary."  
"Well that's the truth," Steve said, dropping the act and actually looking... well, not frightened, but **respectful.** Danny grinned.  
"I agree. Completely. Let us not bring the wrath of Kono down upon us. I propose that we continue in our fornication," Danny said. Steve just rolled his eyes.  
"Whatever you say, Danno," he said, and tackled his partner.  
What followed were many fantastic rounds of sex, thrilling cases, and arguments that eventually devolved back into fantastic sex.  
And all was as it should be.  
THE END


End file.
